• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.23-44
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• 2003

The purposes of this study were to investigate the accomodations for the disabled children of the elementary schools in Suwon and to give helpful information to the parents and teachers for the improvement of the independence of disabled children at school. We measured the ramps, toilets, doorways and other accomodations in 64 elementary schools according to the checklists. The checklists of these facilities were based on the legal requirements of "The Act for the Benefit of the Disabled, Elderly and Pregnant Women". The data was analyzed by descriptive statistics and the ${\chi}^2$ test. None of the investigated schools satisfied all the legal requirements of the facilities. Fifteen elementary schools had adequate accomodations for the disabled children which allowed them to move independently from the entrance of the school to their classrooms located on the first floor. Only eight of fifteen schools had elevators to access their classrooms upstairs. The schools were divided into two groups according to their construction dates; before and after April 11th 1998, when "The Act for the Benefit of the Disabled, Elderly and Pregnant Women" took effect. There were statistically significant differences in the number of toilets, the width of the toilet entrance, and the slope of the ramps between the two groups (p<.05). We suggest that the accomodations for the disabled children need to be established on a systematic and on-going basis in the future. The teachers and administrators should be more aware of the legal requirements for appropriate accomodations for the disabled children.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.197-200
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• 2020

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop and investigate the feasibility of a sit-to-stand assistive chair using a pneumatic cylinder. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The sit-to-stand assistive chair was developed to assist the sit-to-stand movement by rising up of the chair by a pneumatic cylinder. After the user is seated on the chair, if the pneumatic cylinder pulls the seat plate when standing up, the spring of the pneumatic cylinder, which has been stretched, assists in rising the rear end of the seat plate so that the user can stand conveniently and comfortably. A feasibility test was performed in 10 heathy adults. The electromyographic muscle activation of the trunk and lower extremity muscles was analyzed, which included the erector spinae, rectus abdominis, quadriceps, tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius when standing up from sitting using the developed chair and standing up without using the developed chair. Results: As a result, the sit-to-stand assistive chair using a pneumatic cylinder was developed. In the feasibility test, the use of the developed chair had a decrease in rectus abdominis, quadriceps, tibialis anterior activation compared to those who did not use the device in the healthy adults. Conclusions: The sit-to-stand assistive chair using a pneumatic cylinder may be helpful to reduce the activation of the rectus abdominis, quadriceps, tibialis anterior muscles when performing a sit-to-stand movement. Through the results, the efficacy of the sit-to-stand assistive chair can be confirmed. In the future, further studies are warranted to investigate for the safety and efficacy of its use in the elderly population or those who are disabled.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.19-35
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• 1997

Korea will soon experience a high demand for medical rehabilitation specialists, if it tries to deliver advanced health welfare service. In order to medical rehabilitation manpower policies, this study attempts to analyse, estimate and plan a long-term supply for physiatrists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. The study analysed both national and foreign statistical data of manpower supply for medical rehabilitation specialists. Based on the above data, the demand of and supply for each specialists were estimated for long term up to the year 2030. Based on the comparative analysis results of the future demand and supply. the author intended to develop a new supply plan for the three specialist categories. The major finding of the supply plan are as follows : First, as for the supply plan for physiatrists, the author recommends to adopt the demand estimation 1 as the most suitable. In order to prevent an oversupply of physiatrists, the supply plan 1 is recommended which annual enrollment of specialists will maintain with the quota of fixed number of 63 from the year of 1999. Second, it is estimated that there was already an oversupply of physical therapists in Korea. This oversupply is expected to continue even though there would be an increase in rehabilitation hospital beds, rehabilitation facilities for the elderly, and nursing homes, Thus, it would be desirable to cut down the number of students admitted to physical therapy schools each year. Third, there will be a high demand for occupational therapists in the near future as people become more aware of the usefulness of this therapy. Thus, it is urgent to establish a supply plan to meet the demand. Given the close relationship between physical therapy and occupational therapy, the study recommends that the universities already having the the department of physical therapy open the department of occupational therapy as well.

• 한국노년학
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• v.30 no.4
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• pp.1293-1309
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• 2010

This study is aimed to evaluate the effects of community-based prehabilitation program developed to prevent functional decline in the frail elderly and to provide a basis to practically operate this program in the public health care service. From March to August 2009, 110 frail elderly people were recruited among the registered participants of the home visit program in Korea to perform a prospective randomized community trial. We randomly assigned these people into two groups. One group (n=50) participated in the visiting prehabilitation program for 3 months focusing on improving their muscle strength of upper and lower limbs, walking ability, and balancing. The other group (n=60) underwent our visiting fall prevention program for control. To assess the effectiveness of prehabilitation program, physical functioning (PF) and short physical performance battery (SPPB) were measured for the primary outcomes and also some other indicators: exercise performance, nutritional status, emotional functioning, experience of admission, and events of fall. As a result, significant improvements of geriatric functional status were noticed among the participants. After 3 months, PF increased by 1.3 ± 3.8 points in prehabilitation group and decreased by 1.1 ± 5.4 points in controls (p=.020). SPPB improved by 2.4 ± 2.0 points in prehabilitation group and increased only 0.3 ± 1.5 points in controls (p<.001). Significant effects were also shown in their exercise performance tests and emotional status, the number of multiple falls, and the experience of functional decline after the fall (p .002-.038). Visiting prehabilitation program is safe and effective program for frail older adults. Thus, it is strongly recommended to universally adopt this program to prevent functional decline in the frail elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.9 no.7
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• pp.301-308
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• 2018

The study conducted a meta analysis to identify the effects of physical activity programs for the elderly with disabilities. The 14 out of 177 studies, fulfilled the process and requirement, were selected for the Hedges'g, funnel plot, forest plot, Egger's regression test, trim-and-fill, fail-safe N. There were three conclusions based on the results. First, the physical activity was effective for the elderly with disabilities and showed good effects on the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains. Second, the physical activity programs of fundamental exercise skill, game and sport, and fitness exercise showed positive effects on the psychomotor, cognitive, and affective domains in the elderly with disabilities. Third, the fundamental exercise skill for the psychomotor domain, the game and sport for the cognitive domain, and the fitness exercise for the affective domain were the most effective for the elderly with disabilities.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.47-65
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• 2002

This study examined the correlations among the Berg Balance Scale, which is a clinical tool used to evaluate balance ability, spatiotemporal parameters of gait, and falling; determined the parameters most closely related to falling; and identified a discriminatory parameter and its predictability. Thirty-four subjects aged 72 to 92 years participated in this study. Following a questionnaire survey about falling, the Berg Balance Scale and spatiotemporal parameters of gait were measured. The results revealed that the incidence of falls increased with aging and an accompanying reduction in the flexion range of motion of the hip joint. The gait characteristics of elderly people who fell easily included a slower walking speed, shorter stride, and longer stance time than other elderly. When the cutoff score was set at 45, the Berg Balance Scale was able to identify correctly those individuals who truly have experience of falling than when the cutoff score was set at 39. But when the cutoff score was set at 39, the scale's specificity identifying correctly those individuals who truly have not experience of falling was higher than at the cutoff score of 45. Therefore, the Berg Balance Scale is an appropriate screening method in a clinical setting for the early detection of elderly people at risk of falling. In conclusion, elderly people with a Berg Balance Scale score. below 45 are the most likely to fall owing to their decreased balance ability.

• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.44-52
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• 2018

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects and find the correlation of LOTCA-G and SS-QOL on the cognitive function and quality of life of elderly stroke patients. The time period of the experiment was from March 1, 2018 to March 30, 2018, and the study sample was composed of 102 stroke out-patients who participated in the rehabilitation center in G-city and received treatment of LOTCA-G and SS-QOL. The raw scores of the cognitive function of the elderly stroke patients varied depending on their gender, age, education, and marital status, but the differences were not statistically significant. Second, the raw scores of the quality of life of the elderly stroke patients varied depending on their gender, age, education, and marital status, but only marital status showed significance (p <0.01). The elderly stroke patients' cognitive function and the quality of life showed a statistically significant correlation (p <0.01). LOTCA-G and SS-QOL generally showed significant correlation even among sub-categories, but energy, one of the sub-categories of quality of life, did not show significant correlation with any of the other sub-categories of cognitive function. By combining the study results, it was possible to see that there were high levels of correlation between cognitive function and quality of life in elderly stroke patients shown through LOTCA-G and SS-QOL. Based on this study, if the raw scores of cognitive function and quality of life could be validated and various basic data could be provided for increasing quality of life, it can be considered that the stroke patients' quality of life will be improved.

• The Korean Journal of Health Service Management
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.65-73
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• 2014

The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between cognition, depression and leisure activity in elderly people above 65 years of age, and to improve their health and quality of life by providing baseline data for occupational therapy intervention. This investigation was performed on 118 elderly people above 65 years of age who lived in local community and two senior welfare centers. In order to collect the data, we used MMSE-K, KDS, Questionnaire for leisure activity. The depression of elderly people was negatively correlated with their cognition(p<.01) and leisure activity(p<.001), whereas cognition was positively correlated with their leisure activity(p<.01). In conclusion, the correlation between cognition, depression and leisure activity of elderly people appeared statistically significant. Therefore, leisure activity program should be designed through additional research and effectively provided in nursing home and community senior welfare center to prevent depression increase and cognitive decline.

• Journal of Digital Convergence
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.387-393
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• 2019

This study aimed to analyze characteristics of employment and factors affecting of employment of elderly with disabilities. Data were analyzed using chi-square tests, regression analyses according to the Panel Survey of Employment for the Disabled in Korea. Participants were 452 elderly with disabilities. First, The employment group showed significantly mild disorder, higher health status, absent of chronic disorder, licenses, absent of public employment service, married, absent of basic living security recipient, higher level of household income compared to the unemployed group. Second, Factors affecting employment of elderly with disabilities included public employment service, level of household income. And multi-person factors were acceptance of disabilities and one-person factors were basic living security recipient. Base on these results, suggested for obtaining job of elderly with disabilities.

• Journal of rehabilitation welfare engineering & assistive technology
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.339-348
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to verify the validity and reliability of the computerized general neurocognitive test using intuitive evaluation techniques to reflect the needs of the elderly and to validate neurocognitive function appropriately. The subjects were 100 elderly people who were over 60 healthy people. To evaluate the comprehensive neurocognitive function of the elderly, Computerized Neuro-cognitive Function Test (CNT, cybermedic. Co., Korea) developed by CyberMedic was used. The test consist of attention test, memory test and the problem solving ability test. As a result of correlation analysis of CNT test items, it was possible to confirm the characteristics of measuring single domain of attention and memory test. The problem-solving ability test also showed a high level of significant correlation, although the purpose of measurement was different, but a comprehensive cognitive function test for problem solving was possible. In the reliability analysis, the half reliability and internal consistency of test - retest were significantly higher. As a result of the above study, we conclude that the comprehensive neurocognitive test items constituted in this study have achieved reproducibility and effectiveness.